Large Reflectarray for SAR for Earth Observation: RF Design and Measurement Correlation

• Published in: 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting (USNC-URSI) pp. 1517 - 1518
• Main Authors: Nicolaci, P. G., Zhou, M., de Lasson, J. Rosenkrantz, Sorensen, S.B., Larsen, N. Vesterdal, Marote-Alvarez, D., Herreros, J., Toso, G.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 23-07-2023
• Subjects: Antenna measurements; antenna optimisation; Conferences; Correlation; Earth; Instruments; Ka-band; measurement correlation; Radar measurements; Radio frequency; Reflectarrays; SAR application
• ISSN: 1947-1491
• DOI: 10.1109/USNC-URSI52151.2023.10238213

In this paper the RF design of a large Ka-band reflectarray for Synthetic Antenna Radar (SAR) application and the correlation with the measured data are introduced. The reflectarray is part of a dual-offset antenna system for a high-resolution and wide-swath SAR instrument. The antenna is optimised to work in the high-resolution mode with a directive beam in one linear polarisation, and in a low-resolution mode with a broad beam in the opposite linear polarisation. A dual linear mode sectoral horn is optimised to enable different beam widths for the two orthogonal polarisation. Measurement of the radiation patterns and correlation with the predicted data are presented to validate the design.